


So

by Asexual_Ravioli



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Modern Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2017-04-17
Packaged: 2018-10-20 07:41:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10657989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Asexual_Ravioli/pseuds/Asexual_Ravioli
Summary: A kiss. A betrayal. How will Levi react?





	So

Erwin stopped in the doorway.

“What are you doing?” Levi asked. “Come inside. Close the door, it’s cold out.”

“Marie kissed me,” Erwin said. It came out in a rush.

“So?” Levi said, taking off his shoes.

Erwin swallowed. “So I kissed her back.”

Levi froze, one shoe off, one shoe on. “You what?”

The wind rushed through the open door, chilling them both.

 

 

He supposed it had all started the Sunday he hung out with Nile. The two of them watched football together, though neither of them were especially interested in the sport anymore. They had been teammates on their high school football team. It was what tied them together, so they took the chance on Sundays to chat over the game.

“I don’t think Sina has beaten Rose all season.”

“No,” Nile said softly. “They haven’t.” He absently stared at the beer bottle in his hand.

“What’s wrong?” Erwin asked, suddenly sensing his friend’s unhappiness.

One of Nile’s children came over. “Daddy! Daddy, Marcy hitted me hard!”

Nile put down his beer and pulled his youngest, Tyler, onto his lap.

“She did? Where? Did you do something to her? Pull her hair again?”

The little boy froze, caught out. “…Maybe.”

Nile nodded. “You two need to apologize to each other, I think.”

“I don’t wanna…”

“Tyler…Go say you’re sorry now,” Nile admonished. Erwin noticed the way he communicated with his children, that fatherly, loving tone laced with discipline and tenderness all at once.

“Okay,” Tyler said. He hung his head and went to find his sister.

Nile sighed.

“What’s up, Nile?” Erwin asked.

“It’s Marie,” he said, avoiding Erwin’s eye.

“Something…wrong with the baby?” Erwin ventured. He knew from experience that it was hard to get Nile to open up about what he didn’t want to say.

“No. No, nothing like that,” Nile mumbled.

“Just tell me.”

“We’re getting a divorce,” Nile said.

“Oh. I’m sorry. Before she has the baby?”

“I want to be away from her as soon as possible to be honest.”

“What happened?” Erwin asked, already sensing the answer to his question.

“Marie’s been cheating on me. The baby’s not mine.”

Erwin nodded, silent.

Nile went on. “I’ve known this whole time, of course. We tried to settle things. We really did. But ultimately, she can’t stop seeing him. I’m moving out next week. It’s gonna be hell telling the kids.”

“Yeah. I’m so sorry, Nile.”

“You already said that,” Nile muttered, taking a long pull of his beer.

 

 

 

Erwin laid on his back, holding Levi in his arms. Actually, his left arm was falling asleep with Levi’s weight on it so long. He felt the prickly burning running through it but didn’t want to wake Levi to fix it. At last Levi stirred, rolling to embrace Erwin, his eyes still closed.

“Morning,” Erwin said.

“Hey.”

Levi opened his eyes. His brow furrowed.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Erwin asked. It was probably just his own morning breath bothering Levi, he thought.

Levi sighed. “How long were Nile and Marie together?”

“Seven years.”

“If they can break up after seven, we could easily break up after our one.”

“Why would we break up, Levi?”

“I don’t know! Artistic differences?”

Erwin laughed. “I think that’s reserved for rock bands. “

“Whatever. Just don’t lose me. I couldn’t handle it.”

“I won’t, Levi,” Erwin said, hugging him tighter.

 

 

Erwin helped Nile pack up his things. He would move into his apartment soon. His kids were devastated, Nile told Erwin.

“Tyler won’t stop crying. And Marcy won’t talk to me. She thinks it’s my fault.”

“That’s rough,” Erwin said.

“You’re telling me.” Nile loaded an armful of clothes into a box, then shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers. “Goddamit, Erwin. How did this happen?”

“Marie was always…kinda wild.”

“Yeah. Yeah. I just can’t believe she’s done this. Okay. Let’s load this shit into our cars and head over there.”

They finished packing up Nile’s car, and he drove off. Erwin finished loading his own. Being alone in the empty house, he saw the evidence of how loved this home was: piles of snow boots stacked by the door, a messy kitchen, dozens of photos of happy smiling people. It made Erwin’s heart sink. It was all coming apart at the seams. He couldn’t imagine how Nile must feel.

As he was coming down the stairs with a box, he heard a car in the driveway. It couldn’t be Nile. He got down the stairs just as the kids poured in from the cold.

“Uncle Erwin!” Marcy shouted. She kicked off her shoes and ran to hug him. With her mop of messy black hair and dark eyes, she was every inch Nile’s daughter. As Erwin hugged her, he knew he would have to disappear from the kids’ lives. As a friend of their soon-to-be-divorced father, there was no place for him here.

“Hey, kiddo!” Erwin said. Marie walked through the door, beautiful and glowing at six months pregnant, standing there assessing him with her dark green eyes. Her light brown hair curled in rivulets, falling on her shoulders.

“Erwin,” Marie said. “I thought you two would be done by now. Is Nile…”

“No,” Erwin said. “He’s at the apartment.” Marcy squirmed in his arms and detached herself. Obviously upset over something, she ran up to her room.

“She doesn’t like talking about apartments,” Marie said softly.

“Ah,” Erwin said. “Okay. I only have a few boxes left. Then I’ll be gone.”

“That’s a shame. Come have some coffee with me once you’re done loading those boxes.”

“Sure.”

When Erwin was done, he came in from the cold to the smell of coffee in the kitchen. Marie leaned against the counter, sipping at a steaming mug.

“Erwin,” Marie hummed warmly. “How have you been?” She handed him a mug.

“Good,” he said. He took a sip of his drink. The Dok family always had good coffee. Or what was left of the Dok family. Erwin wondered if Marie would keep the name.

“How are you?” Erwin asked.

Marie sighed. “I can’t seem to hold onto anything lately. Anything or anyone.” Her gaze, purposefully affecting boredom, slid onto his. “Erwin,” she said again, softer, sadder. “I always liked you, you know.”

Erwin nodded. He couldn’t breathe. Marie set her mug on the counter and wrapped her arms around Erwin, her belly pressed against him. And he didn’t do anything to stop her. She was so warm. She kissed him, and he leaned into the kiss, accepting Marie’s sweet mouth on his. This was what he had dreamed of all through high school, wasn’t it? That pining had survived until this moment, blooming huge in all its terrible beauty. So Marie kissed Erwin, and he kissed her back. At last, he pushed her gently away.

“We can’t do this,” he said. Images of Levi had suddenly flooded into his mind. He had betrayed him.

Marie frowned. “That’s about what I expected.”

“What else is there to expect, Marie?” he said, now angry. “Why did you do that?”

She shrugged. He saw the threat of tears in her eyes. “I don’t know. I’m out of control. Everyone can see it, and no one wants me.”

“Marie.”

“But you want me. You’ve always wanted me.”

Erwin shook his head. “I have Levi. He’s what I want. Marie, I have to go.”

Marie shook her head and let him leave with a limp wave of her hand.

 

 

Erwin took Nile’s stuff to his new apartment. They unloaded their cars and stood among the boxes. The walls were white and bare. Nile stood with his hands on his hips.

“It’s all very sad, isn’t it?” Nile said, looking around.

“Maybe,” Erwin said. His mind was still reeling from that kiss. And Erwin himself was culpable. How could he face Levi?

“You’re acting weird,” Nile said.

“I don’t know. The situation is weird.”

Nile nodded, distracted by his life packed into so many boxes. Erwin left soon after that.

 

 

He had to pick up Levi from work. In the year or so since they had met, Erwin had never seen him drive.

“It’s bad for my emotional health,” Levi had said once. “I get too enraged.”

Now as Levi got into the car, Erwin battled with the memory of what he and Marie had done.

“You’re quiet,” Levi said.

Erwin only nodded.

“So. Nile’s done with Marie.”

“Yes,” Erwin said. “It’s over.”

“She’s fucking crazy.”

Erwin laughed. “A bit, yes.”

Then they got home. Somewhere during the drive, Erwin had decided that he’d tell Levi everything as soon as they got through the door. Standing in that doorframe after confessing, Erwin saw the changes come over Levi’s face: surprise, confusion, anger.

“Please tell me that’s a shitty joke,” Levi said.

“I’m afraid it’s not. She kissed me and I…didn’t exactly stop her. Not soon enough.”

“So what?”

“So…so what?” Erwin repeated.

“It’s not like you’re gonna think about her during sex, right? Unless you want to think of her wearing a strap-on.”

“I thought you’d be mad,” Erwin said, perplexed.

“Oh, I’m mad. You’ve always gone to pieces around her. But you’ve done the same with me. And I don’t think you’re gonna leave me for some adulterous pregnant chick. I’m not threatened.”

“But you’re mad.” Erwin realized then how badly he wanted to be punished. He deserved it.

“What do you want me to do? Send you to your room without dinner? Come on, Erwin. We’ve been through worse than this.” Levi approached him and pulled him into a hug. Erwin felt Levi sigh against him.

“I’m sorry, Levi”

“It’s fine. But you’re doing the dishes every day. For at least a month.”

“Okay.”

“Erwin, you’re an idiot.”

“You know, that’s all I ever wanted to hear.”

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry, Marie, but you're fucking crazy in this fic.
> 
> I love writing Eruris with Marie in it lol. She becomes a good character to explore.
> 
> Meet me in the pit: erurink.tumblr.com


End file.
